Portfolio Evaluation Standard - Content Knowledge (EDTC 6431 Module 1 Post)

Triggering Event

How can students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge and develop innovative products and processes using technology?

My Triggering Event Question

How can fitness and health apps from smartphones be utilized to increase engagement if the whole class does not have access to it? 

Link from Research

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/13/for-low-income-kids-access-to-devices-could-be-the-equalizer/

 (Links to an external site.)

Article Connection/Explanation to Standard and Trigger Question

The ISTE Standard 1 for Students is: Creativity and Innovation. With this, students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge and develop innovative products and processes using technology. From this standard and the articles in module 1, it triggered my question of how can I use apps from smartphones in health and fitness if not all of my students have access to such devices. With this being said, I am at a school that has 1:1 Chromebooks and those have been very beneficial in both health and fitness for different lessons. However, with this standard in mind, I am looking for ways students can use creative thinking and develop knowledge being mobile or on the go, for example with smartphones. In PE, we are constantly moving and carrying Chromebooks around gets challenging. With my research of how to utilize smartphones in the class if not all students have them, I found an article by Tina Barseghian called For Low-Income Kids, Access to Devices Could Be the Equalizer. I will say I did not love the article but the article included a tip list of how to narrow the divide. The first is giving students access by looking for community funding and grants. Now, I may not be able to get funding for smartphones, but pushing for smaller devices such as Ipads or tablets. With this, tip number five is invite observers to your mobile enhanced classroom. This is an idea I had not thought of but may be extremely beneficial for both funding and parent buy in to purchasing devices for students. Tip six, seven and eleven went together really well, inventory the devices, use discretion and value collaboration. This suggests keeping an inventory of students who own smartphones so you can easily create equal groups without bringing attention to the students who do not have a smartphone. Again, although I did not love the article, I found great value in the tip list and will be using these to add smartphone use into the classroom.

Figure 1

            After the initial round of research, I felt that I did not completely answer my answer so I dug a little deeper.  On this second round of research, I searched applications that could be used as a group versus individual apps that we typically think it.  I found a few applications like “Run-Lap-Tap” showed in Figure 1.  This app can we utilized for up to 12 runners therefore I would only need 3 students to volunteer their phones for class.  Finally, I found another article from The PE Geek that really resonated with me.  The article talks about PE being about movement, therefore the technology used needs to support movement and not hinder that in any way. 

            After all of this, I felt that I am able to answer my triggering event question by saying that there are many ways to use health and fitness apps if not all students have access to them if you are creative.  Using methods like grouping, apps that are designed for groups and applying for funding when needed are all good strategies.  At the end of the day, as long as the kids are moving, technology will just be a bonus!

References

10 Lessons I've learnt Using Tech in PE. (2015, August 12). Retrieved January 15,

2017, from https://thepegeek.com/2015/08/top-10-lessons-ive-learned-

using-technology-in-pe/

Barseghian, T. (2013, March 13). For Low-Income Kids, Access to Devices Could Be

the Equalizer. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/13/for-low-income-kids-access-

to-devices-could-be-the-equalizer/